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Tasty, low calorie crisp snack

The Baked Range

According to the Walker's Baked website, these come in four flavours
Salt and Vinegar
Ready Salted
Sour Cream and Chive
Cheese and Onoin

My thoughts

These crisps have quite an unusual taste when compared to 'normal' crisps, which are made from sliced potatoes. As these are made with potato flakes, and while they are still very crispy and crunchy, there is a slight dried potato taste from these which isn't totally hidden with the flavourings. If you are looking for your crisps to be soaked with flavouring, you may be disappointed with these crisps.

These also different shapewise, they are a hexagonal shape, with small ridges over the surface of the crisp. These are a light golden brown, which puts me in the mind of gently fried crisps, although I know that these ones are baked. I did notice the addition of a colourant (curcumin), which might explain the golden colour. I did find that most of my crisps did seem to have survived their journey intact as well, and hasn't turned to mush. I am a bit picky when it comes to crisps, and black bits of potato can put me off, and as these are made with flakes, this doesn't seem to happen, you just get a crispy, crunchy edge. Each crisp feels really crispy in your hand and not at all soggy or greasy as I can find some other brands of crisps can be. I also find less of the flavouring on my hands after I've finished eating these crisps as well, unlike some other (for example) salt and vinegar crisps, where you can still taste the flavouring on your hand later that evening.

I wouldn't be a massive fan of crisps, and I only really eat a few flavours, and when I do eat crisps, they tend to be more Kettle chips or similar rather than a bag of Walker's. However, I really do like these crisps, and I found them to be very moreish. Normally I can go weeks without eating any crisps, and I had the six packets eaten in less than a week.

Price and Availability

These cost the same price as other standard bags of crisps, around 70p for a single bag and 2 pounds for a multipack of 6 bags, though they can often be found on offer in various retailers.

These crisps contain no MSG, no artificial preservatives or artificial colours and are suitable for vegetarians. I did notice on the ingredients on my packet that it mentions wheat flour so it's not suitable for coeliacs.

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Good treat!

To fry or not to fry that is the question. In this case it is a NO and the answer is to bake - well ot me personally but you get the idea. I stumbled upon Walkers Baked a few years when I was on a bit of a healthy eating drive. Now I know that crisps in any shape or form aren't ideal but I needed my fix of the salty snack! Not wanting to go too far into the diet food market (the idea of Weight Watchers crisps scare me!) I thought I'd give these a try.

So this review s specifically for the Ready Salted Variety. On first inspection it looks like much of the others Walkers crisps with similar colouring and deign. The bright red packet with a picture of a golden crisp is eye catching indeed. Inside the pack you find an almost hexagonal like flat crisp with little ridges. The taste is very different to a regular crisp and they are thicker and crispier in texture. I do prefer the baked taste, it is hard to explain but it tastes more potatoey than regular fried crisps and obviously less greasy. The saltiness is just right for me, but others I know have found it a little too salty for their taste.Walkers make a bold claim on the pace, claiming that their baked varieties are 70% lower in fat than their equivalent varieties which is good news in my books. My 25g pack was part of a 6 pack multi bag and cost me 99p from the well known chain of budget shops "99p Stores" I think thought that you will find these around the same price in most supermarkets and they are usually on offer as well.

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I don't personally like them too much

Walkers "Baked" is something a little different for those tired of the regular potato chip style crisps. The noticeable difference is in their shape - slightly thicker and more solid, but also containing small ridges. Essentially, they are in the old style of McCoys "ridge cut chips", but with the folds cut down, so that they are almost flat, but still somewhat noticeable.

The Ready Salted version of the Walkers Baked can be bought in variety packs of 6 (with Cheese and Onion, and Salt and Vinegar), or purchased separately, in any decent newsagents or snack shop.

As for the taste, it isn't vastly different to normal Ready Salted crisps made by Walkers. What makes it a bit different is the advertisement of "70% less fat", as well as the form that the flavour takes on this slightly different shape of crisps. Despite the salt, to me it appears a bit drier and more bland. Again, just a personal opinion, but perhaps it's because these crisps are thicker, and so they are not as light or flighty as the regular Walkers crisps of the same flavour.

But if you like Ready Salted and wish to try something slightly different, these are about as good as any. I don't personally like them too much, but maybe that's because I prefer either regular crisps, or ridged ones like McCoy's, and the hybrid in the middle makes me a little unsure that i'm capturing all the taste.

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Great snack to the walkers range

I've never been a fan of so called "healthy option" versions of popular products, I like to eat the stuff I like, but just keep it balanced and in moderation. I've always found that reduced calorie versions tend to mean reduced taste so think whats the point? So when my wife bought these baked crisps which are supposedly better for you, I was a bit dubious, however I was pleasantly surprised.

They are ridged crisps as apose to the typical flat walkers crisp and are baked instead of fried to reduce the fat content and in turn the calories - advertised at 70% less fat than ordinary walkers crisps. The texture is still "crispy" but in a different way to normal walkers, if that makes sense! I think the taste is different to typical ready salted walkers, but in a good way.

The pack size is small at 25g, so I guess you're eating less calories because you're eating less crisps, but it is tempting to have a second packet since they're so small - so maybe defeating the point.

Each pack is 98 calories with 2g fat (0.3g saturates) which is pretty good compared to 133 calories and 8.5g fat in a normal pack

They come in a range of flavours from ready salted, to salt and vinegar, cheese and onion, and some more exotic flavours such as Bacon and Cheddar, or Mango Chilli. Sour cream and chives completes the line up.

Overall a great snack, all the flavour but without the additional calories - I like the ridged crisp more than the flat version too.

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Good if you're on a diet but not exactly a treat

I'm trying to do 5 a day and cut the rubbish out of my diet but I find it helps to keep a few emergency diet-y producs in my desk drawer for those moments when you just need to eat something!

Walkers Baked are classed as crisps but only just make that category in my opinion. With 98 calories per bag though, they make an ideal lunch time companion for my paltry sandwich that's been sitting waiting to be eaten all morning (nom nom - gone!).

The texture is good, these are crunchy crisps that taste more like potatoes but you do spend ages picking them out of your teeth after you've enjoyed them!

Packet boasts because they are baked, they contain 70% less fat than normal crisps which can only be a good thing in this day and age.

They are not entirely satisfying but certainly a good compromise when you want to cut some of the bad content out of your diet!

I've tried these in the other flavours they come in - salt n vinegar, cheese n onion and I think the flavoursome ones are better than the ready salted but I'm not that fussy, any port in a storm and all that.

I usually buy them in packs of six. They do tend to cost a bit more than the full fat Walkers crisps but this is often the case with diet-y food.

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Overpriced, small packs and tasteless.

The success of Walkers crisps over the decades has been their superior taste and to be brutally honest baked crisps just don't taste right. They are really really bland, and the bags are tiny too! No wonder a pack of Walkers Baked Ready Salted crisps is only 99 calories which is half that of normal walkers, the bags are smaller and they use less oil/salt so that ready salted crisps are hardly salty at all any more!

That said I understand for the health concious these are a great invention, but I can't see them taking the world my storm. In all honesty the Asda own brand baked crisps are slightly cheaper and taste a whole lot better. These are just aren't ready salted crisps! If you must have Walkers Baked then try the new Sour Cream & Chive flavour at least they taste of something as opposed to nothing!

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Give them a try, very edible crisps

These were a real revelation to me - I'm a big fan of crisps but it's easy to see the effects of eating them or abstaining for a few days in terms of their effect on your weight. I've never like most of the 'diet' crisps I've seen in the past because they were either too puffed up and full of air or too much like easting compressed cardboard. So I tried some of these when offered by a friend and was impressed.

Firstly they do actually taste of potato, which is nice, and have a solid texture not too dissimilar from a normal thick crisp in terms of density. They have thin ridges, which I'm ambivalent about but I know some people who love or hate ridges on their crisps. The most interesting thing about them though is the mouthfeel. They aren't oily like a normal crisp, but are still pretty satisfying and I did feel like they addressed my hunger when snacking. I'm not under the illusion that this isn't created in a lab by a food technologist - if you look at the ingredients there is plenty of stuff mixed together, but I think they have done a decent job at getting something that tastes good and not too artificial.

The crispiness is high, almost brittle, and perhaps it got a bit boring having crisps of the same size and shape. But I'm normally a sucker for eating two thin crisps at once for the extra crunch and these are quite satisfying to eat individally from a texture point of view. Contrary to another review I read there is plenty of crisps in a bag, but they do tend to settle as they are flat and of even size.

The ready salted flavour I can most easily describe as being similar to hula hoops, with a gentle saltiness complementing a particularly 'potatoey' backtaste. In fact, hula hoops are a pretty good approximation of the texture of these things too, although as they are flat rather than in a ring they are less 'tough'.

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A very tasty snack that's not too high in fat and which lets you indulge without pigging out.

Walkers are a fairly well known brand, and their baked crisps were a bit of a jaw dropping wow thing when they first came in because they are SO much lower in fat than regular crisps. They taste like real crisps too not like some brands who've tried to rival these and failed.

For me, walkers baked became a firm favourite of mine when I had gall stones and had to reeeeally count how much fat I ate. Crisps were basically a no no until these appeared. They were also brilliant when I was dieting, and I love them still even when not on a diet and no longer on a gall stone restricted diet (had the gall bladder removed).

The crisps themselves are slightly thicker than ordinary crisps and are crinkle cut and baked instead of fried which is how walkers manage to get them so much lower in fat. They come in packs about the same size as most other crisps - single packs, multi packs and even big sharing packs. They're 'foil packed for extra freshness' - not personally noticed any real difference caused by this, but I'm sure walkers know what they're talking about.

The ready salted flavour was the first one that Walkers brought out, and to be honest it's my favourite. The crisps are nicely salted while still retaining a good potato flavour, and you don't get a lot of salt hanging around in the packet at the end either like you can with some. I have a feeling they may add the salt before cooking or something which does give them a slightly different flavour and could explain why the salt doesn't fall off like it does on regular crisps.

I'd recommend these to anyone - not just those who want less fat in their diet, but for anyone dieting they really are a bonus because you can indulge without feeling like you're going to ruin everything. Not sure to be honest how they compare in terms of a single pack price with other crisps, but for a multi pack they are around £1.35-45 depending on where you buy them - that's for six packets, which I'd say for branded crisps is pretty average really.

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A baked bag of crisps that aren't too greasy or salted.

Walkers Baked crisps are a fairly new style of crisp that is crinkled and baked instead of being fried and this makes them a fair bit lower in fat than the normal varieties available and the texture is different as well as the taste.

The crisps are a fairly average crisp size and cut from good quality potatoes, it is very rare to find a bad crisp in your bag and this is great as I don't have to particularly worry about paying much attention when delving in to the bag and wolfing down a whole packet in 2 minutes flat! I lovely the crinkle design of these crisps and there never seems to be a full packet but then they are healthier so what am I really expecting?

The crisps come in a foil bag (for freshness) with red colouring (for ready salted) and the familiar Walkers logo as well as nutritional information, ingredients and further details on cooking methods, potatoes used and information on Walkers themselves. The bag is very informative and tells you why Baked are different (lower in fat, baked not fried etc) and I am always surprised by just how much information Walkers feel they need to put on each packet and this seems to be something that they do with all brands. At least it's something to read whilst eating I guess!

Once the packet is opened there isn't much of a scent but I can tell that these are going to be a little salty already. The crisps are deliciously crunchy and do not disappoint at all, there is a fair amount of seasoning on them (salt) but not so much that my hands feel greasy and horrible. The salt covering is just enough and these do taste a little different to the usual Walkers crisps but I think that this might be something to do with the texture of the crisps rather than a different amount of salt. These may not be for everybody though as they can be a little salty for little children. My favourite way to eat crisps is to have them in a sandwich or with a salad. The crunch of these crisps goes well with sandwiches and is just delicious and because these have ridges in them it's far easier to lay them flat in a sandwich and have them stay in place.

I would definitely recommend these as a perfect accompaniment to your lunchtime. These are great as a snack and each bag contains just 98 calories and 2g of fat making these have 50 less calories compared to a standard packet and 1/4 of the fat! I am a huge fan and so far I am enjoying all of the 'Baked' varieties, I am therefore rating these crisps 5/5. These are available singly or as part of a multi-pack and I paid £1.36 for a variety of 3 different flavours and there were 2 packets of each flavour inside.

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A very poor offering from Walkers

When is a crisp not a crisp? When it's a Walker's baked crisp.

I shouldn't complain really. I was convalescing and sent hubby to the shops with a list. I should have realised that putting generic terms on a list would not be sufficient . And thus it came to pass that a non-specific listing of "crisps" resulted in the purchase of Walkers Baked crisps in ready salted flavour.

I've had baked crisps before. They can be good. They tend to be less oily than fried crisps and retain more of the potato's natural flavour (M&S do some good ones). Walkers really haven't pulled this one out of the bag though.

Rather than being traditional, sliced potato crisps, these ones are manufactured from milled potato in much the same way as a Hula Hoop. The potato, together with a load of extras, is then moulded into a ridged crisp shape (more of a Seabrook's than a McCoy's ridge) and baked. The result is a disaster.

The texture of the crisp is its first failing. Whilst there's a good crunch it's more of a snap than a proper potato crisp munch. The crisps are quite brittle and then, on the tongue they taste rough and powdery. Formed crisps such as Hula Hoops get away with this by being thick and so not brittle. Others, such as Discos, go the other way and are very smooth and fine. Walkers just get it wrong. The potato is milled but not finely enough to be smooth and the crisp is not substantial enough to create the crunch of a thicker offering. These seem to be trying to replicate the likes of McCoy's but they don't get anywhere close.

The taste is the next failing. I don't think I've ever had a ready salted potato crisp that's tasted so unlike potato. These taste of sugar and salt and chemicals and sawdust but NOT potato. The sugar had me confused but, sure enough, the ingredients tell me that they do, in fact, contain added sugar. Now, forgive me here, but if this is marketed as a healthier crisp, why, oh why, do we need sugar in it?

The level of salt is about right but I just can't get past the cardboard flavour and the dry, rather odd texture. Unusually for me, despite really, really fancying some crisps I only managed about 6 of these before I declared the packet inedible.

If they come close to anything at all then it would have to be Pringles. The texture isn't too far off (although the Walkers are, I think, drier) but the flavour of the Walkers is infinitely more chemical and manufactured. I'm not a huge fan of Pringles but I can take them. The Walkers.... well... anyone want 5 packets?

Not recommended

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Family friendly snack from Walkers

The ready salted version of Walkers Baked are a firm favourite in my lunchtime arsenal. While they're not the most exotic potato-based snack, they have a very pleasant taste and are light and reliably crunchy.

Loudly proclaiming '70% less fat' than ordinary crisps, Walkers are clearly keen to push their snack as a healthy alternative and as the title reveals these are baked, not fried. With 2g of fat (0.3g of this saturated), this claim would seem to be perfectly reasonable. This is 2% of the GDA and they are perfectly acceptable in terms of calorific content and salt, too (98 calories and 0.4g, respectively).

Although I'm quite happy to eat these as a guilt-free snack, I would feel more confident if Walkers (and other snack manufacturers) were to adopt the government's own traffic light labelling: http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/foodlabels/trafficlights/ While I acknowledge that no system of dietary information and guidance can be totally intuitive due to the range of information that must be included, an industry-wide move towards using this familiar labelling standard would increase consumer confidence and would allow parents in particular to make more informed decisions. It's all well and good saying that a bag of crisps represents x% of your daily calories, but this is meaningless when it is devoid of content. There's very much a place for the red, yellow and green circles on processed foods.

The only thing that puts me off a little when eating these is the fact that the principle ingredient is potato flakes. Call me a traditionalist, but when I open a bag of crisps I like to see something that looks organic - as if actually once came from a potato. Potato flakes may be healthy and produce regular-shaped crisps, but they lack the visual appeal of a 'real' crisp. These are perhaps more akin to a tortilla chip, having being produced from something milled, as opposed to sliced.

All in all, a tasty and relatively healthy snack at a price that won't hurt the pocket. These cost in the region of £0.25 a bag when purchased in a multipack.

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Quality crisps... thumbs up from me!

Being a fan of crisps I tried these when they first came out and loved them. It depends what kind of texture and taste you're going for as to whether you'll choose these over regular walkers ready salted, because these are drier and crunchier.

... Price ...

Compared to the big multipacks of regular walkers, these are slightly more expencive. At £1.38 (Tesco) you get 6 packets of ready salted crisps in red packaging (multi variety packs are available x 12 at £2.29). You can also buy these as single packets but aren't as easy to get hold of as the regular ones. Most supermarkets will sell the Baked multipacks though, and Tesco often do offers on these, most recently they were 2 for £2.20.

... Product ...

The difference between these and the regular Walkers crips is that these are slowly oven baked. As a result, they're crunchier and less greasy with 70% less fat. Per packet, the product contains 98 calories and 2g fat, so they're much healthier in that aspect. As you can see by the picture on the front, they're slightly ridged because they're relatively thick and very crunchy. Mmm. These aren't the same as Walkers Lights which came out as being the 'lower fat version' of regular walkers. These are baked and have even less fat.Other flavours are also available, such as salt & vinegar, mango chilli, bacon & cheddar (my second favourite!) and cheese and onion.

... Taste ...

If you like you're regular Walkers ready salted, you may think these are a bit too dry. I however now much prefer these. They taste healthier, pack a good crunch and have a delicious salty taste with the same amount of salt (0.4g) as the regular version. Walkers always seem to get it right when it comes to their products and this is no exception. With a great '100% British potato' taste, you know you're getting quality food.

... Overall ...

I love these and although they're crisps you can eat them knowing they're better for you because they're baked and lower in fat. They have a great taste, full of potatoey goodness and a crunchy ridged texture. Just because they're promoted as being healthier and lower in fat, that definitely doesn't mean they've compromised on taste!

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A great tasting snack!

In the past I have written a review on the subject of Walkers Ready Salted Crisps and I began with the sentence 'There's no crisp like Walkers' and I still stand by that statement, although this does not necessarily mean the standard version.

I have also written a review on Walkers Lights and said that they are even better than the original Walker's crisps. 'Koshka' commented on that review that I should try the Baked crisps so who am I to disagree with a fellow Dooyooer?

As I have said in my other reviews it has to be Ready Salted for me, even though 'Devil' says that my choice of crisp flavour reflects me as a person! Cheeky monkey! Still the fact remains that I can't even stand the smell of most of the other flavours let alone the taste! I do have an occasional pack of Salt & Vinegar but that's about as far as it goes!

The pack of Walkers Baked I went for was a 25g pack which was purchased as part of a multi pack of six. The cost was about £1.15.

There are a few different flavours in the Walkers Lights range including Bacon and Cheddar, Cheese and Onion, Mango Chilli, Salt and Vinegar and Sour Cream and Chive, but as I have already said it has to be Ready Salted for me.

The Ready Salted variety comes in the traditional bright red bag with a picture of a crisp on the front with the Walkers logo wrapped around it. The word 'Baked' is written across the front of the pack in red, together with a picture of two of the baked crisps which is relevant because they look different from ordinary crisps.

Also on the front of the pack is a note to say these crisps have 70% less fat. I assume that means 70% less than standard Walkers crisps but it doesn't actually say that!

There is also the now familiar information showing the nutrition which is also expressed as a percentage of RDA. (Recommended Daily Allowance)

The crisps themselves are made from potatoes (be honest that's hardly a revelation is it?) in the form of potato flakes, starch, sunflower oil, sugar (?), emulsifier (soya, lecithin), dextrose and salt.

These crisps are suitable for vegetarians and coeliacs and contain no artificial colours.

The reason that the fat content of the crisps is lower than ordinary crisps is because they are slowly oven baked rather than fried.

The full comparative nutritional values of between a 25g bag of standard crisps and a 25g bag of Walkers Baked are as follows:

Walkers Standard Crisps Energy 133 calories Protein 1.6g Carbohydrate 12.3 g of which is sugars 0.1g Fat 8.5g of which is saturates 0.7g of which is mono-unsaturates 6.8g of which is polyunsaturates 0.7g Fibre 1.0g Sodium 0.2g Equivalent as salt 0.4g

So now we have all the nutritional information out of the way. It is a bit odd that, although the Baked crisps are lower in fat than the standard version they have added sugar! Why is that I wonder?

I opened the bag of Walkers Baked Crisps to find the bag less than half full which is pretty much the norm for packets of crisps these days!

The smell was just the same as any other ready salted crisps - just crispy!

The crisps themselves looked different from standard crisps in that they have a slightly ridged surface.

I popped one into my mouth and the texture was unusual. They are drier and crunchier than standard crisps but the taste is just as good but less greasy. Apparently the potatoes used by Walkers in the manufacture of all their crisps are specially grown for Walkers, so maybe that makes a difference. I have to admit that I like the taste of salt far too much for my own good but although these don't contain a lot of salt they are easily salty enough to satisfy my craving.

I am undecided whether I prefer the Lights or the Baked Crisps. They each have their merits but I think the lower calorie value and amount of fat present in the Baked might make these the ones for me in future.

This review will probably appear on Ciao at some point in the future.

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Great way to slash fat in your diet!

I'm not a big crisp person - I have far too much of a sweet tooth! - but I do like the odd packet now and then. I've always been put off by the fat content though - a 35g bag of standard Walkers crisps contains 11.4g of fat - more than a Crunchie!

Walkers Baked, however, are really good for the waistline - they slash that figure by 70%, to 2 grams! Plus, there are only 98 calories per packet. OK, so they're still not as good for you as fruit, but at least you can feel slightly less guilty about your craving for salty snacks! These low figures are because they're baked rather than fried, which actually makes them taste more like potatoes than 'normal' crisps. However, this rather nice, "natural" effect is somewhat ruined by the fact that the crisps are cut into bizarre and artificial hexagonal shapes, which is a little off-putting at first. The salt content per bag is still very high, at 0.4g.

If you're looking to lose weight this New Year, replacing standard crisps with these might help! They're suitable for veggies and coeliacs and come in the three 'big' flavours - Ready Salted, Salt and Vinegar and Cheese and Onion.

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Are Walker Baked crisps a better crisp

Like most big brand names my Walkers crisps are available in most supermarkets, mine came from Sainsbury's on special offer at 25p a bag. The bag is predominantly red on one side and full of information on the other. Content weight 25g.

NUTRITIONAL CONTENT

In the bottom left hand corner of the package a large 70% number informing us that these chips have 70% less fat than Walkers crisp generally. Below this guide facts concerning content of Calories, Sugar, Fat, Saturates, Salt and how much they full fillAdult's daily amount, not much for example the chips inside are 98 calories but only 5% RDA. All useful stuff when planning a healthy diet.

On the reverse of the packet some advertising selling the flavour and health advantages of baked food followed by a more specific argument concerning Walkers Baked. Further nutritional information follows including advice on its suitability for vegetarians (these are) and contact details if you have problems with the crisp and the packaging.

THE CRISP

The crisp are various sizes and crinkled, they do not smell as strongly as other crisps I have tried, I think the flavour is rather bland. I munched away loyally at these crisps but did not find them as favourable as Walkers and other non - baked varieties.

CONCLUSION

Obviously the flavour was not a sufficient reason for sending the lot back to Walkers HQ, but after the 1st few crisps I felt like doing just that and asking for a Walkers regular as a replacement. I think although crisps are high in saturated fats etc, one eats so few within 1 sitting you can do without the healthier option. One must ask oneself healthier but at what cost ?